Clancy Barracks, Dublin

The barracks and army ordnance buildings of Clancy Barracks are located on the south side of the River Liffy in Dublin. Constructed in around 1798 and originally known as Islandbridge (Island Bridge) Barracks, the site was renamed in 1942 after Peader Clancy killed during the War of Independence in 1920. The barracks remained in Irish Defence Force (IDF) possession until its sale on 14 June 2001 as part of an estate disposal scheme in which six barracks were sold. I visited the site in 2010; by which time around half of the barracks had been demolished and redeveloped, and what remained was the camp around Upper Square (to the south) and Cambridge Square (middle camp).

By 1847, Ireland had 138 barracks; thirty five constructed before 1791, sixty eight between 1791 and 1815, and sixteen after 1815. The driving factor between the late C18 and early C19 was the Napoleonic wars and the threat posed by France to the British Empire. In “A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837,” it is noted that the Island Bridge Barracks for artillery are adapted for 23 Officers, 547 soldiers, 185 horses, and contain a 48-bed hospital (Library Ireland).

Following independence in 1922, British military forces started a withdrawal from Ireland, and the newly established Irish Defence Forces took on the task of reforming and establishing themselves in the existing infrastructure. Islandbridge Barracks was taken over on 15 December 1922, and on 23 March 1923, the Irish Defence Forces Artillery Corps was formed at Islandbridge Barracks. The development of the barracks can be tracked by existing maps, plans and drawings available in public records and the National Archive of Ireland:

Islandbridge Barracks Plan as of 1904, reference AD119268-007. The most comprehensive plans available for the barracks. If you can look through the utilities (gas and water) dotted across the camp, building and even room utilisation is marked.

This outline plan of Clancy Barracks from 1980 shows the layout of the barracks in the later stages of its use, and is the closest plan to when I visited the site.

This photograph from 1933 is a cropped portion of an image on the Britain from Above photograph archive (original file). It shows a number of the main areas of camp; A – The Red House, B – Clothing Depot, C – Mobilisation Store, D – a corrugated steel roof was fitted between the stone store houses, E – Old Stables, F – Married Soldiers Quarters, X – Upper Square, Y – Cambridge Square, Z – Lower Square.

Visit Photographs

I visited the site in the summer of 2010 when I was working in Dublin, and on site. I had almost unrestricted access to the remaining barracks, and recorded what I could, but 8 years later writing this article there is so much more I would liked to have visited.

Redevelopment

Refurbishment of the listed elements of the site seems to have been undertaken respectfully, and from what I can ascertain as of March 2018, the majority of the Islandbridge / Clancy Barracks site has been redeveloped, perhaps with the exception of the Upper Square. Below are some open source images from the developers Kennedy Wilson and estate agents showing a few of the restored and developed buildings.

The artillery stores building dominates this photograph, with the shell stores to the right. Utilisation as per 1904 plans.Stables and troop accommodation. Utilisation as per 1904 plans.The artillery stores. Utilisation as per 1904 plans.

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Frontline Ulster is a website dedicated to tracing the physical remnants of conflict left within Northern Ireland and Ulster through all eras ranging from the early Home Rule crisis through to the cessation of hostilities and the ending of Operation Banner, the longest deployment of the British Army in history. The site aims to focus on the physical archive and archaeological evidence, with less focus placed on the human or political impact. Image copyright is retained by the author unless otherwise stated, and where possible the source has been referenced. Inclusion on this site of any location is not an implied right of access; always attempt to seek landowner permission. No site is safe, always take care and be mindful of any hidden hazards.